ABOUT SCMM

Star City Motor Madness over the Years

Two Roanoke Area businessmen, who were also automobile enthusiasts, wanted to create an event to raise money for charities. Recognizing that the Eastern United States had a huge number of automobile collectors and enthusiasts, they felt that an organized cruise-in and car show would draw huge participation.

Roanoke’s Williamson Road (U.S. Route 11) was a popular cruise route in the 1950s and 1960s. The road retains much of the appearance of that era. It was an ideal location for an organized cruise event. For the first 22 years the cruise-in was the first day of the two-day event.

The second day of the event is always a big car show in the heart of downtown Roanoke where city streets are closed so that spectators can enjoy the show but also visit downtown’s unique assortment of shops and restaurants.

Area businesses, governments, and organizations jumped at the opportunity to assist in 2002, the first year, and they continue their support. Berglund Automotive Group, The City of Roanoke, The Virginia Museum of Transportation (based in Roanoke), and various car clubs all participated. The name “Star City Motor Madness” was chosen because Roanoke is recognized as the “Star City of the South” (due to a massive neon star overlooking the city since 1949). When the first event rolled out, the response exceeded everyone’s expectations. That 2002 event was the largest automotive event in Virginia. Between the cruise and car show approximately 2,000 automobiles and 8,000 spectators participated.

In recent years the cruise-in became more congested and the fairly narrow lanes of Williamson Road as well as other issues led to concerns about the safety of drivers, their vehicles, and especially the spectators who lined both sides of the street. Beginning in 2024 the Friday night cruise-in is being replaced by what promises to be a huge “car party” held at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in downtown Roanoke.